Cangar

Last week I went to Batu again. This time we (my children and I) went to a warm water source in Cangar, Batu. It is in the mountain. I was a bit afraid if the way there too narrow but after all it was ok. Of course there were a lot of sharp bends because there is no high way in the mountain. Pelangi and Anugerah were also a bit scary to see the way. Every time they let me drive slowly. But our trip is rewarded with a very beautiful view as you can see at the pictures here.

Pelangi has made a lot of pictures along the way. Her brother said that she shouldn’t take pictures at the same places but she could not do that. It’s too beautiful to let pass by. As if you want to take the beauty home.

We passed street with houses and a lot of plants vendors. They just put the plants and flowers in front of their houses as if they are parts of their garden. I was looking for flowers, named Kala (in Indonesian). It has a white look-like-plastic-flower. Coincidental I saw some houses with those flowers. I became excited that I could buy them here. For sure I would stop on our back trip.

After a while we passed the way with no houses. The way is long and is just getting higher. Where ever we took a look, we just saw the green of grass and trees and the blue of mountains. It was as if we were in the middle of nowhere. Especially that we didn’t see any other cars or people either. We were enjoying the view but one second I had doubt if we were on the right track. Suddenly after a sharp bend we saw houses again, more than the first time and they have more Kala flowers. I was so happy to see that and I have enough choice of vendors.

In the flowers market (Pasar Bunga) in Malang I have asked about this flower. I think the price in the mountain should be cheaper. On the back trip we stopped by to but the flowers. I am right about the price. It’s four times cheaper than in Malang. It costs fuel as well to get here so I tried to bargain. Pity with no luck but it is okay. I went here not special for these flowers. I am sure that I would come back again to this place so I can buy more flowers if I need.

Not just Kala I found there but also another interesting plants, Patula and Pakis Gubeng. Patula just has 3 stalks, no leaves. Later I found out that it has its flower as well. Pakis Gubeng is like a monkey. No leaves either just a stem covered with brown hair. I hope I can find the Latin name of it. I haven’t seen these plants in Malang.

Beside plants, the vendor apparently sold also potato and vegetables from her own back yard. So my car was full with plants and vegetables. At other place along the way back I also stopped for apples and oranges. Nice trip and green souvenirs from Cangar.

Do you want to know more about Malang's nature. Please go to www.holiday-or-living-in-malang.com/malang-beaches-waterfalls.html

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Anugerah, the Eel and the Fish

I’ll bring you back to year 2005. We were on holiday in Holland to visit my in laws. My father in law loves fish and eel. Not like me that just like eating fish, he also likes to fish and to catch eels. Close to his house there is a small creek.

Sometimes he put a fish net there. He put it in the evening and the next morning he went to see whether he got one. One day he got home with an eel and a small fish.
Anugerah, at that time 4 years old, was very interested in everything living in water.

Knowing this grand Pa called him and put the eel and fish in a bucket. Anugerah was so exciting that he could see an eel so close. He just sat and stared at them. But the poor small fish didn’t survived. Then Grand Pa took it and threw it away over the hedge. At that time Anugerah was inside the house. He needed to go to the toilet.


He came back again to the bucket. He enjoyed watching the harvest of his Grand Pa. But then he noticed that the eel was alone in the bucket. Where is the fish? he asked me. I said, the fish is already dead so Grand Pa threw it away.

He started to cry and said that he wanted the fish back. Grand Pa came and said that he would catch another fish, bigger fish for him but to no luck. Anugerah kept crying.

Grumbling Grand Pa went outside to bush behind the hedge. It’s not an easy job to find a small fish between the leaves and branches. But finally and luckily he found it. He came back and threw the dead fish back in the bucket.

Anugerah was happy and continued staring at the bucket, although the fish lay upside down in the water. At least they were together.

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Myanmar

Take The Myanmar Challenge!



Maybe you wonder why I just write this now. Yes, I know that the Nargis cyclone has already happened in May and now it’s July. But what has happened some time ago does not mean that it has already finished. Yes, the cyclone is not there anymore but a lot of the victims and survivors still suffer.

Many countries offered help to Myanmar as soon as the cyclone hit that country. We know that they got a lot of difficulties entering the country. The government is afraid that foreigners will find out their secrets. So their own interest is much more important that the safety of the people.

Nowadays we don’t hear a lot of this country again on the news even on the internet. Since my husband goes there for his work regularly I feel connected with Myanmar, although I have never been there. Maybe someday. I have read articles about the nature, their political life as well as the people. It has a beautiful nature, still green but pity no peace.

The cyclone in May is also a voice of nature. The nature is not dead. It’s too bad that the Myanmar’s government did not listen to this nature voice well. It is good that there are still people who did.

I spoke once to a worker of a big and famous bank in Holland. There was a problem with my husband’s credit card while he was in Myanmar. She did not know where Myanmar is. She asked me, is it near to Bali? I said, no. It’s a border of Thailand. Oh, is it Thailand? I’d cry if she still wouldn’t know where it is.

This is a challenge for all of us. You can’t say that you have nothing to do with it because you live miles away from Myanmar. As long as you live on this earth, you always have to do with everything happening in every place on this world. Let’s listen to this voice and take the challenge of Myanmar.

You can help them not just with money. You can let more and more people hear the Myanmar voice by spreading this link. Thank you for doing that. I am sure you got a good feeling after doing that. I did.

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